Fearless Coyotes: How Urban Canines Take More Risks Than Rural Ones

In a revealing study, researchers have discovered that urban coyotes exhibit significantly bolder and less fearful behaviors compared to their rural counterparts. The study, conducted across multiple sites in the United States, highlights the profound impact that an urban environment can have on the behavior of these adaptable canines.

The researchers believe that this behavioral gap, which may hold true across various species, is likely a product of the reduced fear of harassment that urban coyotes experience. As city-dwellers become desensitized to the presence of strange or unusual occurrences, the coyotes too have learned to be less cautious in their new surroundings.

Anyone who has spent time in a city can attest to this phenomenon. From a unicycling bagpiper to a person changing clothes on the subway, the urban landscape is rife with sights and sounds that would startle a more rural-based individual. Similarly, coyotes in cities seem to be bolder and less afraid of new experiences, a stark contrast to their rural counterparts.